Hauraki Plains College has a commitment to living out its school values.
They’re not just words – they’re principles the school encourages its students to “live and breathe”.
Students are called to champion three school values: rangatiratanga/ looking after yourself, manaakitanga/ looking after our people and kaitiakitanga/ looking after our place.
Rangatiratanga can be displayed by students working independently, working hard, being a leader and a positive role model.
Manaakitanga can be displayed by showing respect for others, being inclusive and offering help, while kaitiakitanga can be shown by taking care of the environment, classrooms and school grounds.
Students are encouraged to outwork the school values everyday in their actions toward their peers, teachers and the wider school, and are rewarded through a merit points system.
One point is earned if students demonstrate a school value inside the class, and two points if they demonstrate it outside the class.
Teacher and head of department of science John Aloi told The Profile a significant portion of the points awarded to his students were based on the manaakitanga value, where students demonstrated respect and care for others in the classroom.
“Upholding this value is essential for fostering a harmonious environment where students feel safe, valued, and supported.”
John said the atmosphere enhanced student engagement and contributed positively to the overall learning experience.
“This is especially critical during laboratory experiments, where maintaining a safe environment is of the utmost importance,” he said.
One thing’s for sure, Hauraki Plains College makes a point of recognising its students by awarding badges during assembly as they reach different points levels.
It’s what happened when a group of students were front and centre at assembly on April 7, where they received their 20 point pins.
Among the group were year-11 student James Boyd-Beazley and year-12 student Vienna Symes, who said the points system motivated them to do better because they were rewarded for doing their best, and it reflected their work ethic and values.
“It’s a challenge that we get rewarded for without knowing.”
The most important school value for James, 15, was rangatiratanga, he said, “because if you look after yourself you can then look after others”.
While Vienna, 16, said manaakitanga was most important to her because it was important to look after others and make sure they felt safe at school.
But James and Vienna’s hope was that other students would see their example and be encouraged to show respect for others and take responsibility for their actions.
It was significant for the two students to be positive role models so others could “follow in our footsteps” and respect people and property, they said.
One way Vienna and James carried out manaakitanga and made sure people always felt included was by making sure no one is left out. “When people feel like they belong they are more comfortable and ready to learn.”
